Pep Guardiola confirms Manuel Akanji set to undergo surgery as injured Man City defender ruled out for significant period

Akanji suffered the injury during City’s Champions League play-off first-leg defeat against Real Madrid earlier this week. The 29-year-old was substituted at half-time, with Rico Lewis replacing him. Guardiola has now revealed that the change was due to a muscle issue, and further medical assessments determined that surgery was necessary. The Swiss international is expected to miss up to 10 weeks of action, dealing a blow to City's defensive options.

Providing an update in his pre-match press conference ahead of City’s Premier League fixture against Newcastle United, Guardiola said: “I think it is the abductor. [It will be] eight to 10 weeks out.”

Based on this timeline, Akanji is unlikely to feature again until at least April, meaning he will miss several crucial fixtures, including games against Newcastle, Madrid, and Liverpool.

City’s injury concerns do not stop at Akanji, as Jack Grealish was also forced off against Madrid due to a separate issue. While his injury is not as severe, Guardiola admitted that the English winger remains a doubt for the upcoming match against Newcastle United.

“It is not as tough as Manu but I don’t know if he will be ready tomorrow,” Guardiola said of Grealish. “I don’t think so but we will assess in the next hours.”

City strengthened their defensive options during the January transfer window. The club signed Abdukodir Khusanov from Lens and Brazilian prospect Vitor Reis from Palmeiras, both of whom could now play a bigger role in the squad as Guardiola navigates the coming weeks without Akanji.

City face a critical stretch of games in both domestic and European competitions. After taking on Newcastle in the Premier League, City will travel to Madrid for the second leg of their Champions League quarter-final tie, where they currently trail 3-2 after the first leg.